Pecan-do!

The days are slowly, but surely, beginning to shorten, and Houstonians are beginning to consider breaking out their winter clothes. This entrance into the colder months of the year signifies all the delicious meals that are soon to come.

Halloween has candy and treats, while Christmas has cookies and hot chocolate, but Thanksgiving? It has it all. Sure, sweets are nice, but sometimes you want something a bit more savory. The best thing about Thanksgiving, though, is that you can have your pie and eat it too, because no table is complete without at least one dessert.

Now, there is some debate between whether sweet potato or pecan pie is best, but, be honest, you’ll probably have a little bit of both.

And let’s not forget the best part about Thanksgiving: leftovers!

Mostly, we only consider the prepared food that we can heat up and enjoy for the rest of the week (if you have enough self-control to make it last that long), but what about leftover ingredients that you don’t use as often, and are a bit more seasonal?

How about pecans, for example. You need them for the traditional pie, but what do you do if you decided to buy in bulk? You could sit on them for a year, but by the next pie they could be a little stale.

There’s really no reason to pass over the pecan once November has ended. Pecans make a great addition to salads, dips, savory entrees, and, of course, desserts. You just need a little know-how… or a little help. Don’t worry, though, June Jackson has you covered.

In her book, In Praise of Pecans, she not only helps you craft delicious, year-round dishes using pecans, but also teaches you about the native nut. This book is as full of mouth-watering recipes as it is brain food, with a glossary of pecan-related jargon, nutritional facts and benefits, as well as a history of the pecan.

You can find In Praise of Pecans on our website to learn more about this amazing nut and get cooking!